{"id":156,"date":"2012-09-27T13:53:07","date_gmt":"2012-09-27T17:53:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.shakabrown.com\/home\/?p=156"},"modified":"2012-09-27T13:53:07","modified_gmt":"2012-09-27T17:53:07","slug":"5-ways-to-improve-as-a-social-dancer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shakabrown.com\/home\/5-ways-to-improve-as-a-social-dancer\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Ways to Improve as a Social Dancer"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Shaka<\/a>
Shaka Brown Social Dancing in Germany<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

You want to be a better social dancer. I want you to be a better social dancer. Other dancers want you to be a better social dancer. Now that we are all on the same page, why is it so hard to accomplish this goal? I’ll tell you why, it’s because you haven’t taken the 5 necessary steps to become a better social dancer. I’m here to help. No matter where you are or what type of dance you want to improve at. This article is specific to partner dancing, but it can apply to just about any type of dancing. Let’s get into it!<\/p>\n

If I had a quarter for every time I was asked how to improve one\u2019s level of social dancing, I would be able to plug a lot of parking meters. The standard answer (\u201cDon\u2019t worry about it, just keep doing it and you will be better with time.\u201d) is usually used to avoid giving an answer that might conflict with what the person has been told from other instructors. It\u2019s the safe answer.<\/p>\n

Rumor is that a pedestrian on Fifty-seventh Street, Manhattan, stopped world-renowned violinist, \u00a0Jascha Heifetz<\/a>,\u00a0and inquired,<\/p>\n

“Could you tell me how to get to Carnegie Hall?”<\/p>\n

“Yes,” said Heifetz. “Practice!”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"Shaka<\/a>
Shaka Brown Social Dancing in Miami, Florida<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

While this gets a chuckle, what advice do you give to the person that really wants to ultimately play at Carnegie Hall? \u201cKeep practicing\u201d is not a path, it\u2019s an order without direction. What if they are practicing the wrong pieces? What if they are practicing without proper posture? Any teacher that just says \u201cDo it again\u201d is not going to create a painter, musician, writer, athlete or dancer.\u00a0 There must be goals, guidelines, points to improve, and measurable improvement. \u00a0 So your goal is to be a better social dancer? Here\u2019s how to do it.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Shaka<\/a>
Shaka Brown Social Dancing in Rostov, Russia<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

1.) Social Dance \u2013 While this may seem obvious to some, I\u2019ve heard many developing dancers say \u201cI\u2019ll go social dancing after I get better at it\u201d without understanding why I give them a quizzical look. To be fair, I\u2019ve also heard people say \u201cI will practice speaking more Spanish after I get more comfortable doing it.\u201d<\/p>\n

The only way to get good at social dancing is to social dance. You can take 10 years of classes, and you will not be as good a social dancer as someone who has been social dancing every night for 4 months. You may know more moves. You may be a better lead. You might be able to follow more spins. But the art of social dancing comes from the experience of social dancing. It\u2019s the only way you learn how to adapt to different floor conditions. To spontaneously create moves.\u00a0 You have to immerse yourself into the social dance scene to improve as a social dancer.<\/p>\n

Leads, you need to dance with dancers that are not necessarily good. Find the opportunities and take them. In doing so you will learn what it takes to lead, how to make adjustments to your partner, and the difference between a move learned in class and a move executed on the dance floor. See every dancer as someone that can teach you something by trying to understand what you are trying to do for the next 3-5 minutes.\u00a0 Understand that what makes someone a good lead is not how many moves they lead, but how clearly they lead them, so that the follower doesn\u2019t need to guess what\u2019s going on.<\/p>\n

Followers, you need to dance with people that are recognized as accomplished leaders. \u00a0 I\u2019m not talking about the leads that talk about how great they are, but the ones that other followers clamor to dance with. The leads that make every follower look spectacular; they can do the same for you. Don\u2019t hide from them. \u00a0 You will learn that the lead doesn\u2019t have to be strong to be effective. You will see how quickly they adapt to your level, and help you to feel that you can do no wrong. That\u2019s what a good leader has spent years developing. You don\u2019t have to tell them your level, they will figure it out in the first few seconds. You don\u2019t have to tell them not to lead you through double turns; they can tell if you\u2019re ready for that after leading you through a single. All you need to do is relax and enjoy it.<\/p>\n

Dance with many, dance often, and between dances\u2026<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Shaka<\/a>
Shaka Brown Social Dancing in Washington, DC<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

2.) Listen. It\u2019s been said that we have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we talk. Listen to what people say about other dancers, and then see how that can apply to you. Very few people will say \u201cYou are a really heavy follower, I don\u2019t like dancing with you.\u201d Or \u201cI don\u2019t like the way you lead, I\u2019m going to avoid dancing with you.\u201d What they will say is:<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m going to take a break for a while, we will dance later.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot right now, I\u2019m not feeling this song.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI promised someone else this dance\u201d<\/p>\n

Or a thousand other ways to weasel out of a dance. Don\u2019t worry about that. Don\u2019t take it personally. That\u2019s not what I actually want you to listen to. I want you to listen to what people say about other<\/strong> people.\u00a0 If you are a leader, then listen to what followers say after they finish dancing with someone. Just wait on the side of the dance floor.\u00a0 You will overhear conversations like:<\/p>\n

\u201cSo how was it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt wasn\u2019t bad, he was a little rough, I hate when guys do that move where they put your hand on their chest every time they hear the word \u2018corazon\u2019. He also has greasy fingers, and his breath smelled like garlic\u201d<\/p>\n

Now, this can give you 3 tangible things to check up on immediately. How\u2019s your breath? Do you do that move too? Should you wash your hands after eating chicken wings?\u00a0 You might also hear:<\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t believe he kept spinning me, when it\u2019s obvious I can\u2019t turn on this sticky floor. He also kept leading me way too close to that chainsaw juggler\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Now you have a learning opportunity. Consideration for your partner\u2019s ability. You know that the floor is sticky, had you thought about how that affects the moves that you are doing? There\u2019s a chainsaw juggler on the side of the dance floor. You grew up in the circus, and are comfortable with that, but maybe your partner isn\u2019t. Next dance you will stay closer to the bearded lady.<\/p>\n

My point is that you can learn how others are critiqued behind their backs, and look to see if the critiques that are made can apply to you.\u00a0 Learn from other\u2019s mistakes.\u00a0 You don\u2019t have to worry about the good things, they will tell you that to your face. Appreciate the compliments, but once again, listen to what they are not saying about your dancing. If you want to be a top follower and every time you dance with someone you hear:<\/p>\n

\u201cYou really enjoy dancing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, I see you like doing your thing, go ahead girl!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s a nice haircut.\u201d<\/p>\n

But you don\u2019t hear \u201cI really enjoyed that dance with you, you are an awesome follower! I hope we can dance again tonight.\u201d Then read between the lines.\u00a0 If your goal is to be a great spinner then you want to hear \u201cWow, you\u2019re a great spinner!\u201d anything else may be a compliment, but it indicates that you haven\u2019t reached the goal\u2026yet.\u00a0 Pursue your goal fanatically.\u00a0 This doesn\u2019t mean that you should kick yourself because you wanted to do 4 spins and you always fall after the 3rd<\/sup>.\u00a0 You can enjoy social dancing while at the same time improving. In fact, I can\u2019t promise you that hitting a specific goal will make you suddenly enjoy dancing. But what we are discussing is how to make measurable improvements. No one says that reaching the top of Mt Everest will solve all of your problems while bringing you deep internal peace and satisfaction. They will say that you should dress warmly. And bring some oxygen.<\/p>\n

Speaking of the tools of the trade, time for the next step:<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Shaka<\/a>
Shaka Brown Social Dancing in Muenster, Germany<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

3.) Video<\/p>\n

Video cameras used to be very expensive items. If you had one it\u2019s because you also happened to own a movie studio. Over time they got cheaper & smaller (the cameras, not the movie studios). Nowadays it\u2019s pretty much the standard for everyone to have at least one video camera in his pocket at all times. This camera also takes pictures, allows him to update his twitter accounts, like fan pages, and occasionally make phone calls.\u00a0 The prevalence of video cameras means that people spend more time taking pictures and updating the status of their babies than they actually do playing with the baby. You would think that everyone would have a video timeline of their dancing from their first steps all the way to their latest performance.\u00a0 But that\u2019s not the case.<\/p>\n

When giving private lessons, one of the first things I ask clients is \u201cHave you ever watched yourself dance?\u201d<\/p>\n

Most have not. They may have some videos of themselves doing the sequence from class, or after a workshop. But very few have gotten to see themselves social dance. You can\u2019t blame them, there is a certain stigma attached to being recorded in public. It makes people look at you. It puts you in the spotlight, and gives people the impression that you are about to do something spectacular, when you aren\u2019t doing anything but the same dancing you were doing the night before. Then they get disappointed and then stop looking at you.\u00a0 You have failed them. Who do you think you are for bringing that camera into the club and calling all that attention to yourself? OK, now that we\u2019ve gotten over that you can go back to what your goal is; which is improve your social dancing<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

You have to record yourself. Find someone that has a similar goal and you guys both share the task of recording each other social dancing. It doesn\u2019t have to be all night.\u00a0 You need to tape at least 3 dances, with different people. Get permission from the people you dance with, in case they don\u2019t want to be recorded. The first dance you will most likely be very self-conscious about, and feel like an idiot. That feeling goes down some with the second dance. By the 3rd<\/sup> dance you shouldn\u2019t even be thinking about it.\u00a0 Now the purpose of recording yourself isn\u2019t to be more comfortable in front of the camera, though that\u2019s a positive side effect. You have to take the next step and watch the video.<\/p>\n

I can guarantee you that the first time that you watch yourself dance you will feel somewhat nauseated. You will look like the people you always laughed at internally (if you\u2019re polite). You will wonder why anyone ever danced with you. You will see mistakes that you only thought other people made. You will see how moves look, and how your partner really feels. You will be your hardest critic.\u00a0 You may decide to join a gym.\u00a0 But you will also find things that you can correct. There\u2019s no inspiration like the desire to look at least as good as you thought you looked.<\/p>\n

I had a student who had a specific issue that was driving me nuts. Every time that he turned his partner, he would cock his head to the left. I mentioned it to him in passing, though not making it the focus of the private lesson.\u00a0 As he continued to do it, I addressed it directly, and he promised to work on it. As I noticed him social dancing, and continuing to do it. I finally recorded him on the sly, and in the next lesson I showed him the video. The first thing he said was:<\/p>\n

“Oh man, what’s wrong with my head?! Do I do that all the time?”<\/p>\n

After that he was much more particular about correcting this problem.\u00a0 He became proactive, asking me if he was still cocking his head, and internalized the proper posture that he needed to maintain, because he had seen how he looked and he wanted to improve. While looking good doesn’t necessarily mean that you are dancing well, aligning your self perception with your actual appearance helps to ensure that you are taking both your mind and body in the same direction. Which takes us to our next tip…<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Shaka<\/a>
Shaka Brown Social Dancing in Moscow, Russia<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

4.) Be Goal Oriented<\/p>\n

The Pyramids weren’t built in a day. They Ancient Egyptians didn’t say “Well, we have a bunch of rocks, lets see what happens when we stack them up\u2026” Instead the plans were laid, the end result was detailed on papyrus, there were meetings, approvals, recommendations, revisions, and re-submittals. Only after a final design was blessed by the Pharaoh did the actual physical labor begin. At least that’s how I like to think it went.\u00a0 It’s OK to take 10 years to plan the building process\u00a0 for something that you want to last for centuries. \u00a0 While the exact approach will not be the same when it comes to improving your social dancing, it remains important that you have a goal. While you may say:<\/p>\n

“I want to be awesome!”<\/p>\n

“I want to be as good as <insert your role model here>”<\/p>\n

That can help to inspire, but it will not let you know what you need to do to get there. Do you want to improve your musicality? Do you want to know 6 different copas? Do you want 4 options for following a cross body lead with an open break? Do you want to be able to do at least eight 8-counts of open footwork (shines)? Specify your goals, check them off and continue to develop. When you practice these things to the point that you don’t think about them anymore, then you can break them out on the dance floor and it will feel natural. Now that you have established your goals, it’s time for the next step…<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Shaka<\/a>
Shaka Brown Social Dancing in Orlando, Florida<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

5.) Seek professional help<\/p>\n

A quality instructor can be the difference between you doing the wrong thing for 2 years and learning the right thing in less than 2 hours. It’s unfortunate, but the Salsa scene is overwhelmed with dancers that want to be “self-taught”, so they shun the traditional approach, which is finding an instructor that can teach them to reach their goal. They insist on trying to figure it all out on their own.\u00a0 Would you try to cook a thanksgiving dinner on your own? Or would you rather have someone stand there and tell you how to time baking a turkey so that it’s ready at the same time as the macaroni & cheese?\u00a0 Would you like to rebuild a car engine without a mechanic alongside? Or even worse, without the manual that tells you how much to tighten the bolts, what size washers to use, and how to time the crankcase? Or course not.<\/p>\n

Dance is a language, and there is a methodology to learning it. A quality instructor will be able to quickly identify your weaknesses, strengths, and help you to create a blueprint towards your goal. If you want to win a competition, seek a coach that has created competition winners. Notice that I did not say “Find dancers that have won competitions and have them coach you.” Just because someone has done what you want to do, does not mean that they are qualified to teach you how to do the same.<\/p>\n

Imagine that you need to find a great barber in town. You ask people who have a great haircut. If you want to be an olympic swimmer, do you ask for Michael Phelps as a coach, or do you think you would do better with Michael Phelps’ coach?<\/p>\n

A more extreme example: if you find yourself in a situation that you need to relearn the ability to walk, would you hire someone on the basis that they can walk, run, skip, and even dance?\u00a0 Or would you look for someone that has the qualifications of a rehabilitative specialist?\u00a0 Now apply the same requirements to improving in your dance, and you will find it much easier to select a quality instructor.<\/p>\n

So there you have it, 5 ways to improve as a social dancer. Feel free to leave your questions, comments, and thoughts.\u00a0 See you on the dance floor!<\/p>\n

sGB<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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